Proposing new body mass index and waist circumference cut-offs based on cardiometabolic risks for a Central Asia population: A feasibility study

Abstract

BackgroundLower BMI cutoffs as compared to standard cut-offs have been recommended to reduce the risk of obesity-related co-morbidities in some ethnic populations (e.g. south Asian and Chinese populations). Recent attempts have also been made to establish ethnicity-specific BMI cutoffs to identify individuals affected with obesity in relation to type 2 diabetes risk in multi-ethnic populations based in the UK and North America. However, to date, there is yet to have any published work done to identify these cut-offs in Central Asia populations nor specify any difference for genders even though the fat distribution varies amongst the different ethnic groups as well as between the genders. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study exploring new BMI and WC cut-offs in this population.MethodsTo address this gap, we used a database of secondary care electronic health records from the National Research Cardiac Surgery Center to identify BMI and waist circumference cutoffs for obesity based on the risk of developing diabetes and other cardiometabolic disorders among 297 adults in Kazakhstan. Bivariate and multivariable logistic regression analysis were utilized to investigate the relationships between risk factors and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). BMI and WC thresholds were predicted using the Youden index.ResultsFor an equivalent age-adjusted and sex-adjusted incidence of type 2 diabetes at a BMI of 30·0 kg/m2 in White populations, we found higher BMI cutoffs for Kazakhstani women (30.5 kg/m2) but lower cut-offs for men (28·9 kg/m2). As for waist circumference, the cut-off points for females were 95cm and 104 cm for males.ConclusionsFor Central Asia populations, the current recommended BMI and WC cutoffs may not be suitable and further work is needed to establish specific cut-offs for this population.

Índice de Masa Corporal: Precisión para el diagnóstico y manejo de la Obesidad

“…Kali et al 49 , realizaron un estudio en base 297 registros de pacientes del Centro Nacional de Investigación de Cirugía Cardíaca (NRCSC), donde el 61% eras de origen kazajos, 34% rusos y 5% uzbekos, tártaros y coreanos. En donde el 65% correspondía a hombres y 35% a mujeres con edad media de 61 años ± 9,8.…”

Developmental Trends of Metabolic Syndrome in the Past Two Decades: A Review

“…The variation in the WC cut-off points was attributed to ethnic differences in body fat content that are higher in Asians than Caucasians [58]. For instance, it should be taken into consideration that Asians have a higher upper-body fat than Caucasians who have a higher lower-body fat [41].…”

New BMI Cut-Off Points for Obesity in Middle-Aged and Older Adults in Clinical Nutrition Settings in Italy: A Cross-Sectional Study

“…Secondly, the suggested cut-off point for obesity (i.e., 30 kg/m 2 ) is based on observational studies examining the relationship between morbidity and mortality with BMI in certain specific populations (in Europe and the USA). Its validity is not a certainty in other populations, nor has its accuracy been confirmed across different age, gender, or ethnic groups [19][20][21][22][23][24]. Moreover, in Italy, agreement between BMI and BF categories is low for the total population, and rare for females [25].…”